US Tamils to hold Black July rally, vigil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 11:23 GMT]People For Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), an advocacy group composed of over 1,800 Americans concerned about the crisis in Sri Lanka, is organizing a protest rally and vigil in Washington DC on Thursday at 12 pm to remember the victims of Black July 1983, an ethnic pogrom, where organized mobs backed by the Sri Lankan government killed approximately 3,000 Tamil civilians, displaced several thousand Tamils and destroyed over $300 million worth of Tamils’ property. The rally will be held at the Russell Senate Park, at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Delaware Avenue, Washington DC, according to the organizers.

Black July Flier (Courtesy: PEARLaction.org)

US Campaign for Burma is also joining the rally to remember the victims of the Burmese uprising on 8-8-88. The joint rally will protest China against its military support to Sri Lanka and Burma whose governments are accused of committing grave human rights violations.

Members of Congress and human rights representatives are scheduled to speak at the rally. Speakers include Lucie Morillon, Director of the Washington Bureau of Reporters Without Borders, Nick Gaw, Executive Director of STAND, and Chad Hazlett, Director of Civilian Protection at Genocide Intervention Network.

The rally will be followed by a silent vigil to remember the victims and honor the survivors of Black July.

The vigil starts at 3:30 pm. Survivors of Black July will speak about their experiences during the pogrom and testimonials of survivors will be read at the event, according to organizers of the rally and vigil.

For more details, contact
Brintha at (845) 926-0588
bjeyalingam@pearlaction.org.